In the commercial manufacture of knitted sweaters, it is conventional to construct a complete sweater by assembling a plurality of separate, individually produced sections. Typically, sweater body sections may be knitted on a circular knitting machine in a manner to form a body portion of a first type of stitch, and an elastic waistband or cuff portion of a second type of stitch. The cuff portion is constructed to have greater elasticity than the body portion and is intended, in the finished sweater, to have a relatively restricted circumference measurement, as compared to the body portion. In the continuous production of such sweater sections, individual sections are connected together by removable draw threads. Typically, after preliminary processing of the connected-together sweater sections, the draw threads will be removed, and the final processing of the sections continues on an individual basis.
In the final processing of the sweater sections, prior to being laid up and cut to shape, and then sewed together with other sweater body parts, the sections are blocked or shaped by application over a shaping frame, followed by steaming. This framing and steaming operation is, in practice, carried out substantially as a hand operation, on a one at a time basis. Illustrative of the type of apparatus which can be used in such an operation, is the Cerami U.S. Pat. No. 3,118,579, for example. In a conventional framing and steaming operation, the body portion of the sweater section is slipped over framing elements which are set at a predetermined width. The cuff portion of the sweater either remains off of the spreader frame or, in some cases, is applied over a section of the frame having a substantially reduced width. While held on the frame, the body portion of the sweater is steamed momentarily. The sweater section remains on the frame briefly, after steaming, and then is withdrawn.
As will be appreciated, the conventional framing and steaming operation is relatively time consuming and laborious. In addition, processing results are far from being uniform, because timing of the operations is difficult to control effectively, and is therefore typically left up to the operator's judgment.
One advantageous procedure for processing sweater sections on a substantially automatic basis is reflected in the S. Cohn et al U.S. Pat. No. 2,944,317, in which connected-together sweater sections are passed over a distending frame and selectively steamed. Steam is thus applied to the body portion of the sweater section but is abruptly cut off as the cuff portion passes through the steaming area. The procedure of this patent greatly increased the rate of production in the framing and steaming operation and provides important advantages in the production of relatively nonsensitive fabrics.
The apparatus of the present invention represents a further important improvement over prior art apparatus, in providing for the processing of all types of fabrics, even those which are sensitive to pressure marking, and also in providing for a "flow-through" processing of the separated and individual sweater sections in a highly uniform manner.
A significant feature of the present invention resides in the fact that means are provided for assuring sweater sections and other so-called transfer fabrics, including portions of dissimilar construction and elasticity, are conveyed over a distending frame while in a substantially dry condition. Desirably, the amount of lateral distension imparted to the sweater sections is such as to bring the body portions of the sections to the desired width. The cuff portion of the sweater section is also distended to the same width as the body portion, in passing over the spreading frame. However, it is intended that the cuff portion, being more elastic than the body portion, will return to a narrower dimension than the body.
In accordance with the invention, the substantially dry sweater sections, after discharge from the distending frame, are engaged substantially across the full width thereof by a pair of opposed conveyor blankets. These blankets are mounted and guided in such manner that each sweater section is relatively unconfined for a short interval after its discharge from the spreading frame and prior to its engagement by the conveyor blankets. In this interval, which can be controllably adjustable by means provided for that purpose, the body portion of the sweater section assumes its desired width and the cuff section returns to a desired, narrower width. With the sweater section thus shaped, it is gripped lightly by the conveyor blankets, and while so gripped, is exposed to steam. Unlike conventional apparatus, in the new apparatus the steam is applied to both the body and cuff portions of the sweater section, and not to just the body portion alone.
After steaming, the sweater section is conveyed a short distance further by the opposed blankets, and then released. Suction means is provided to extract excess moisture from the fabric before its discharge from the processing station. In addition, suction or other means are provided so that condensed moisture is extracted from the conveyor blankets themselves, assuring that the fabric sections being discharged by the spreading frame are not affected by external moisture carried by the conveyor blankets.
In the typical utilization of the apparatus of the invention, individual sweater sections, which are originally connected together by removable draw threads, have been previously separated and are processed on an individual basis. Thus, although successive sweater sections may be fed into a processing machine in close, rapid succession, physical separation of one section from another is important to accommodate proper contraction of a cuff portion of one section without affecting the geometry of the body portion of an adjacent sweater section.
In order to achieve optimum readjustment and relaxation of the sweater sections after steaming, the opposed conveyors are arranged so that the sections are released from the grip of the conveyors and are conveyed on the lower blanket only. While the sweater blank is being thus conveyed, the lower conveyor blanket is subjected to vigorous agitation of substantial vertical amplitude, sufficient to literally lift the sweater material off of the conveyor blanket. The fabric is thereby enabled and encouraged to relax free of restraint by the surface of the conveyor blanket.
Certain aspects of the invention are also applicable to the processing of continuous tubular yard goods, as a finishing technique, suitable particularly in the handling of materials which are sensitive to marking. In the processing of continuous yard goods, the tubular fabric is first distended to a desired width, by an internal spreading device, and then discharged between the conveyor belts. A slight contraction of the fabric is permitted to occur in the interval of the discharge from the spreader and engagement by the conveyor belts, and the fabric is then engaged continuously by the belts while being steamed.
For a better understanding of the above and other features and advantages of the invention, reference should be made to the following detailed description, and the accompanying drawings.